Writers on the Move’s April 2011 Tour Schedule

VBT Writers on the Move ~ Writing, marketing, and book information through author and writer showcasing. This is also the place to learn all about our promotion and marketing driven group.

Writers on the Move’s April 2011 Tour Schedule

1st Karen Cioffi is featuring Elysabeth Eldering

2nd Kathy Stemke is featuring Robert Medak

3rd Stephen Tremp is featuring Karen Cioffi

4th Margaret Fieland is featuring Jennifer Turner

5th Carolyn Howard-Johnson is featuring Martha Swirzinski

6th Nancy Famolari is featuring Jennifer Gladen

7th Debra Eckerling is featuring Virginia Grenier

8th Martha Swirzinski is featuring Mari Taylor

9th Heidi Thomas is featuring Kevin McNamee

10th Dallas Woodburn is featuring Carolyn Howard-Johnson

11th Maggie Ball is featuring Kathy Stemke

12th Virginia Grenier is featuring Stephen Tremp

13th Kevin McNamee is featuring Nancy Famolari

14th Elysabeth Eldering is featuring Donna McDine

15th Marietta Taylor is featuring Shelby Patrick

16th Robert Medak is featuring Margaret Fieland

17th Donna McDine is featuring Heidi Thomas

18th Shelby Patrick is featuring Dallas Woodburn

19th Jennifer Gladen is featuring Jennifer Wylie

20th Jenny Turner is featuring Maggie Ball

21st Jennifer Wylie is featuring Deb Eckerling

When visiting and leaving comments, kindly please leave your blog URL so I can visit you and follow you back.

Thank you for your time and interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

The Writing Mama, VS Grenier interviews Donna McDine

Hello All:
Hope you had a wonderful weekend and your Monday is off to a terrific start.
The Writing Mama, VS Grenier is hosting me today at http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/2011/03/vbt-guest-author-spotlight-donna-mcdine.html. If you can, please stop by and leave a comment, I'd enjoy interacting with you.
Thank you for your time and support!
Have a great day!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

VBT Writers on the Move Continue to Spring Through Cyberspace

VBT Writers on the Move Continue to Spring Through Cyberspace on their next round of tours through the month of March 2011. Each stop is unique from the last. Please take the time out to follow along and support our authors.

Thank you!

Writers on the Move’s March 2011 Tour Schedule


1st Debra Eckerling is featuring Margaret Fieland

2nd Kathy Stemke is featuring Jennifer Gladen

3rd Nancy Famolari is featuring Jenny Turner

4th Margaret Fieland is featuring Jennifer Wylie

5th Carolyn Howard-Johnson is featuring Stephen Tremp

6th Heather Paye is featuring Mayra Calvani

7th Marvin Wilson is featuring Virginia Grenier

8th Stephen Tremp is featuring Mari Taylor

9th Karen Cioffi is featuring Kevin McNamee

10th Martha Swirzinski is featuring Carolyn Howard-Johnson

11th Heidi Thomas is featuring Kathy Stemke

12th Dallas Woodburn is featuring Karen Cioffi

13th Maggie Ball is featuring Nancy Famolari

14th Virginia Grenier is featuring Donna McDine

15th Kevin McNamee is featuring Marvin Wilson

16th Elysabeth Eldering is featuring Shelby Patrick

17th Marietta Taylor is featuring Debra Eckerling

18th Robert Medak is featuring Heidi Thomas

19th Donna McDine is featuring Dallas Woodburn

20th Shelby Patrick is featuring Heather Paye

21st Mayra Calvani is featuring Robert Medak

22nd Jennifer Gladen is featuring Martha Swirzinski

23rd Jenny Turner is featuring Elysabeth Eldering

24th Jennifer Wylie is featuring Maggie Ball

Thank you for your time and interest!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Children's Author, Editor and Founder and Owner - Stories for Children Magazine - VS Grenier

Interviewing VS Grenier is a true full circle experience for me. My first publishing credit was with Stories for Children Magazine in 2007 and I haven’t looked back since. Grenier is the owner and founder of Stories for Children Magazine and is a freelance children’s author and editor at Halo Publishing. Grenier’s dynamic and forward thinking entrepreneur writing skills keeps her at the forefront in the children’s publishing industry. She wears many hats and wears them all well. Join me on this fascinating interview about her current writing career moves.

DMc: After taking a hiatus from writing to have your third child you are now back into the writing groove. What has been your biggest challenge in balancing a newborn, a soon to be kindergartener, and teenager?

VS: Actually, only Stories for Children Magazine is on a hiatus. I have been busy with my personal writing in-between taking care of Sabrina, my new baby girl. The one thing I have been finding hard to do … is not adding to my writing responsibilities. The other two kids are great and give me my writing time, which is mostly when the baby is sleeping. My fourteen and five year old have been use to mommy writing for the past few years. Now to teach the baby about mommy’s writing time. Of course, I do not think the baby cares much about my personal time. LOL. At least she sleeps through the night now.

DMc: Your first picture book, Babysitting SugarPaw, was published through Halo Publishing in 2009, what has been your best marketing tool to date?


VS: Well, my marketing strategy went out the window a few months after my book hit the printing press. I am sorry to say, I did not do as much marketing as I would have liked when the book first came out. The reason being, I found out I was pregnant and I came down with the swine flu. However, I did find doing a coloring contest of the main characters really helped sell some books and spread the word about Babysitting SugarPaw. In addition, I did a lot of blog interviews like this one and did a drawing at each one to help spread the word. I had some really great sales during those months.

DMc: Virginia, you are the founder of Stories for Children Magazine. Can you please share with our readers your future plans for magazine?


VS: Right now Stories for Children Magazine is on hiatus because I just do not have the time to put each issue together. Even though the magazine is an ezine, it takes up about 60 hours a week of my time to run it, not counting the time SFC team members put in to do their duties as well. My plan is to reopen in late 2011 or the beginning of 2012. Right now, I’m currently looking at better ways to run the magazine and making some changes such as publishing 9 issues a year instead of 12 issues, like we use to do. Another thing I am looking to do is make the magazine a paying market. I’m not sure how possible this will be because of the economy. Nevertheless, it is still something I would like to do one day soon.

DMc: You also recently created a new blog http://www.thewritingmama.blogspot.com and have already developed a great following. What do you hope to achieve through your blog?


VS: I really do not have a goal for The Writing Mama. I just thought it would be fun to have a personal blog where I posted about my adventures raising a family while writing and being published. At first, I was only going to post when I had something to share, but now I do have a schedule for the posts. Mondays I talk about my weight lose goals, share some tips on staying healthy (since a lot of writers spend so much time sitting), and share a writing prompt to get the creative juices flowing for the week. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I share my thoughts or a writing tip. Sometimes both. Wednesdays I post an article from a fellow writer. The topics can be on anything to do with writing. Then there are the Friday posts. Those are my favorite because I get to chat with fellow writers about balancing their writing life with their family life. I find each interview very inspiring and motivating.

Who knows, maybe some type of book will come out of it.

DMc: You are also an editor with Halo Publishing. Please share with our readers what this entails.


VS: I do a few different things as an editor for Halo. One of the things I do is review manuscripts submitted for publication. Halo likes to have a board of editors read each manuscript and comment on it. Not a full critique, but an overview on if the manuscript is right for the company and if any editing or a professional Read & React is needed.

Another thing I do is the Read & Reacts. This is a one to one and half page professional critique. What I do is point out specific areas needing some work such as point of view changes, telling vs. showing, or weedy word usage. This is a great way for authors to improve their writing and manuscript for publication. However, this does not replace a good line-by-line professional critique. Which I do on the side through my website http://vsgrenier.com/.

Lastly, my other responsibility at Halo is copyeditor where I go through a manuscript before it is sent to pagination. I look for all kinds of things from extra spacing to grammar errors.

DMc: What can we expect from you in the future?


VS: I really don’t know. I am always coming up with new ideas and adventures in the world of ink. What I can tell you is what I have on my plate currently as projects. Besides working on Stories for Children Publishing stuff, I plan to continue my daily blog posts at The Writing Mama. I’m currently the assistant on the Blog Talk Radio show A Good Story is a Good Story every Monday night at 8pm Central.

On the writing front, I am working on two picture books, three YA novels, and some additional book concepts for Babysitting SugarPaw.

Donna, I want to think for having me on your blog today. It is always a pleasure to chat with you.

If you want to know more about VS Grenier visit her websites.

http://vsgrenier.com/

http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/

http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/

http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/

Babysitting SugarPaw is available at Amazon.com, Halo Publishing Int., and for autographed copies with extra goodies visit http://vsgrenier.com/.

Come Explore Write What Inspires You for Testimonials, Author Interviews, Book Trailers, Releases, and Reviews

M E D I A  R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine
Children’s Author
Email: dmcdine@optonline.net
Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

Come Explore Write What Inspires You for Testimonials, Author Interviews, Book Trailers, Releases, and Reviews

Cruise on over to Write What Inspires You at: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com and hear what satisfied clients of Dynamic Media Release Services have to say, author interviews, book trailer and reviews, Guardian Angel Publishing June releases, and a special contest announcement.

7/21/2010 - Testimonials to Affirm Dynamic Media Release Services

7/23/2010 – Guest Author Interview, Shari Maurer

7/26/2010 - The Bug that Plagued the Entire Third Grade by Lori Calabrese

7/28/2010 – Guardian Angel Publishing Announces June 2010 Releases

7/30/2010 – Award-winning Penny and Rio series Contest by Jennifer Swanson

8/2/2010 – Lost Island Smugglers Max Elliot Anderson

8/4/2010 – Children’s Author, Editor and Owner and Founder of SFC Magazine Interview, VS Grenier

8/6/2010 – Slip, Slide into the World of Book Reviewing – Mayra Calvani

8/9/2010 – Another Satisfied Client of Dynamic Media Release Services

8/13/2010 – Book Review: Brigitta of the White Forest by Danika Dinsmore

8/16/2010 – Book Review: Owen and the Dragon by Carla Mooney

8/18/2010 – Book Review: The Guardian of Kelmar ~ Book I of the Kelmr Trilogy by Laura Sepesi

8/20/2010 – Book Review: If I Could Be Anything by Kevin McNamee

8/23/2010 – Book Review: The Sister Exchange by Kevin McNamee

8/23/2010 – Author and Publisher Interview: Carole Anne Carr at http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com

8/25/2010 – The Soggy Town of Hilltop by Kevin McNamee

Mark your calendar today and be sure to visit http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/.

Thank you in advance for your interest.

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Balancing the Writer’s Life and Mama’s Life

M E D I A   R E L E A S E


CONTACT: Donna M. McDine
Children’s Author
Email: dmcdine@optonline.net
Phone: 845-721-7802

For Immediate Release

Balancing the Writer’s Life and Mama’s Life

Balance, balance, and some more balance. To find it at times with (as many fellow writers) the responsibilities of wife, mother, daughter, friend and my work as a virtual assistant can be quite daunting at times.

Visit with Donna McDine through her charismatic interview by freelance author, VS Grenier on Friday, July 2 at: http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/.

Stop by for a spell and enjoy the chance to get to know this up and coming children’s author. Donna will be on hand throughout the day to field your questions and to respond to your comments.

Thank you for your interest.

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Follow Stanley Bookman into the World of Ink

Come along for this wonderful journey with Stanley Bookman into the World of Ink at Stories for Children Magazine. You'll be happy to discover us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa0ZPs-UK5g

Book Review ~ Babysitting SugarPaw by VS Grenier

Title: Babysitting SugarPaw
Written by: VS Grenier
Illustrated by: Kevin Scott Collier
Ages: 3-8
Publisher: Halo Publishing International
ISBN: 978-1-935268-06-2
Published: July 2009
Soft cover: 32 pages
Price: $13.95


Bonnie Whiskers happily arrives at her first babysitting job and becomes quite nervous upon hearing SugarPaw’s protests. In her best attempt not to be thwarted by SugarPaw’s negativity of being babysat, Bonnie Whiskers listens intently as Mama Bear explains the rules chart. Relieved her task at hand appears simpler than she thought Bonnie Whiskers relaxes and attempts to engage SugarPaw. Unbeknownst to all involved, SugarPaw tampered with the rules chart and chaos ensues. What can Bonnie Whiskers do to get SugarPaw under control without causing more harm?

Along with the colorful illustrations of Kevin Scott Collier, VS Grenier brings to life a first-time babysitter’s apprehension and mixes in the high jinxes of SugarPaw into a delightful story of acceptance and understanding. Your personal copy of Babysitting SugarPaw will surely become worn out from reading it many times over.

VS Grenier is an Award-winning author and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine (http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org). She learned how to hone her writing skills at the Institute of Children’s Literature, and her works include: the Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 1 anthology and over 30 short stories, articles, and crafts for children along with newsletter articles for writers. Visit Grenier at: http://vsgrenier.com and learn more about her exciting career.

Check out the order details for Babysitting SugarPaw at: http://vsgrenier.com/BabysittingSugarPaw.aspx for an autographed copy and a portion of sales goes to FirstBook.org

Kevin Scott Collier is a Christian youth fiction book author and illustrator. Explore his techno-colored world at: http://kevinscottcollierhomepage.blogspot.com.

VS Grenier teams with First Book

Hello Everyone,I wanted to share with you the cause I've recently joined . . . First Book!

Here is what Bonnie Johnson from First Book had to say about me joining their cause."First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. Since 1992, First Book has distributed over 65 million new books to children from low-income families in thousands of communities nationwide."Programs that serve predominantly children from low-income families can receive books from First Book and that is why VS Grenier has joined First Book in our fight to bring children their first book.

"First Book works with many different authors and/or publishers big and small! We are thrilled to be working with VS Grenier at First Book in our donation program. We have done similar donations and generally because First Book works with thousands of recipient groups across the country we try to find a group near an author and/or publisher that could benefit from a donation such as this."Bonnie Johnson Manager, First Book Literacy Registry http://www.firstbook.org/

How Can you help me give children their first book?

You can help me bring a child their first book a few different ways. The process is simple and anyone can help.

1. Place an order for an autographed copy of Babysitting SugarPaw and 25% of the sale will go to books for First Book. Place your order at http://vsgrenier.com/BabysittingSugarPaw.aspx

2. Buy and donate Babysitting SugarPaw to First Book. Once we reach the 100 book level First Book will proceed in donating the books to a group in VS Grenier's area. Place your donation at http://vsgrenier.com/BabysittingSugarPaw.aspx

3. Tell your friends about Babysitting SugarPaw and how VS Grenier has joined First Book in bring children their first book.

If you would like to know more about First Book please visit their website at http://www.firstbook.org/.

Written by VS Grenier

Illustrated by Kevin Collier

ISBN: 978-1-93526-806-2

$13.95

Buy or Donate Babysitting SugarPaw to First Book Today at http://vsgrenier.com/BabysittingSugarPaw.aspx

One Lovely Blog Award

It always seems there are one or two people in your life who seem to have the intuition when to be in touch whether it be a phone call, a note, email, etc. Lea Schizas is one of those people in my life. I met Lea well over three years ago (even though we have never met in person) she has been a great support in my writing career. Today was a struggle to get moving with hearing the passing of one of my daughter’s friends parents and decided to bag my writing and SFC work today to spend some major quality time with my girls. I took a few moments out to check email and low and behold Lea sent an email. I was pleasantly surprised to be bestowed the honor, along with four other ladies (and to no surprise to me have been a strong sense of support for me too) the One Lovely Blog Award. Lea’s heartfelt words about me have touched me deeply, words I shall not forget. Words I deem worthy to printout and paste alongside my computer monitor. Check-out Lea’s blog today http://thewritingjungle.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-lovely-blog-award.html and learn of the additional recipients.

Now on to the simple rules and my recipients:

1) Accept the award, and don’t forget to post a link back to the awarding person.
2) Pass the award on.
3) Notify the award winners.

Lea would have been one of my choices, considering without her expert editing skills, my book, The Golden Pathway, may have never been accepted as my first book contract. And many thanks to Lea for creating the Muse It Club – without this group, I’m sure I would not have met so many of my writing colleagues, whom I now consider close friends.

For my choices these women each inspire and motivate me in some way:

Lori Calabrese http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com – Lori and I first met through the Muse It Up Club and then unexpectedly in-person at the SCBWI Eastern NY Conference – June 2008. Since then Lori and I created our own critique group, along with Stephanie Hoina and Irene Roth. Lori always has the time to chat and share everything she has learned and continues to learn about writing. And of course, always making the connection a positive personal experience. Her writing career is flourishing with two pending picture books and numerous articles and short stories in print. I am proud to say, I knew Lori when and will continue to be connected with her professionally and personally for many, many years to come.

VS Grenier – http://vsgrenier.com – Virginia was the first editor who took a chance on my writing and accepted my first non-fiction article for the July 2007 issue of Stories for Children Magazine. Since then Virginia and I have stayed in touch via email and I had the opportunity to attend her workshop at the 2007 Muse Online Writers Conference and a tighter kinship was formed and continues to flourish even more so with our work at Stories for Children Magazine. Virginia’s energy for her own writing, editing, and critique services, topped with her responsibilities of Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine is certainly an inspiration to me. Confirming my dream of the written word for children is so much more than being paid for, but rather than reaching the depths of creativity in children.

Kristi Holl - http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog - When I first started out writing for children through an Institute of Childrens Literature course I purchased the book, Writer's First Aid ~ Getting Organized, Getting Inspired, and Sticking to It by Kristi Holl and with my first read through it became earmarked and highlighted to the hilt. It is a book I continue to reference. Then several years later I had the opportunity to meet Kristi through a Margie Lawson's online course and we teamed up to be "Change Coaches" and what transpired has become a full fledge one-on-one support both in writing and personally. We encourage each other, but don't let each other off the hook on what we are striving for in our writing. And boy does it work! To be connected with an individual in such a profound way has made me a more confident writer and individual and I thank Kristi for her steady warm support and encouragement.

Beverly Stowe McClure – http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com - Beverly is another individual who I met through the Muse It Up Club. We hit it off immediately and we continue to be in touch off the chat boards. Bev’s wonderful nature of checking-in with me to see how “things” are going keeps me energized to keep moving forward, so I’m always ready to share with her new accomplishments and of course those dreaded rejections. I consider Bev my cyber-space mother. Her caring and supportive words are always a comfort in what can be the lonely world of writing. I’m just glad she can’t give me a slap upside the head like my real mom…LOL. But then again, I don’t think I would mind Bev doing this, since she knows the frustrations of writing, working, and raising a family all too well.

Ladies, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued inspiration, friendship, and support of my writing career. Without you, I’d be a lost.

VBT - Writers on the Move - August 1st Author Tour

VBT – Writers on the Move is happy to announce the following August 1^st tour schedule:

Dianne Sagan to host Karen Cioffi at http://www.diannesagan.wordpress.com

Harry Gilleland to host Virginia Grenier at http://harrygillelandwrites.blogspot.com

Karen Cioffi to host Heather Paye at http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com

Kathy Stemke to host Dianne Sagan at http://educationtipster.blogspot.com

Lea Schizas to host Carolyn Howard-Johnson at http://thewritingjungle.blogspot.com

Nancy Famolari to host Linda Asato at http://nancygfamolari.blogspot.com

Vivian Zabel to host Katie Hines at http://VivianZabel.blogspot.com

Margaret Fieland to host Crystalee Calderwood at http://www.margaretfieland.com

Crystalee Calderwood to host Helena Harper at http://crystaleecalderwood.blogspot.com

Katie Hines to host Mayra Calvani at http://katiehines.blogspot.com

Dorothy Massey to host Marvin Wilson at http://www.kidsbooksuk.blogspot.com

Liana Metal to host Gayle Trent at http://lianastories.blogspot.com

Carolyn Howard-Johnson to host Harry Gilleland at http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com

Virginia Grenier to host Stephen Tremp at http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com NOTE: date change for Stephen will be August 3rd and 5th.

Helena Harper to host Dorothy Massey at http://helenaharpersblog.blogspot.com

Gayle Trent to host Kathy Stemke at http://gayle24202.tripod.com/gaylesblog/

Mayra Calvani to host Liana Metal at http://www.thedarkphantom.wordpress.com

Marvin Wilson to host Lea Schizas at http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com

Anita Yasuda to host Nancy Famolari at http://anitayasuda.livejournal.com/

Linda Asato to host Vivian Zabel at http://lindaswritingdesk.blogspot.com

Heather Paye to host Margaret Fieland at http://heatherpaye.blogspot.com

Stephen Tremp to host Anita Yasuda at http://stephentremp.blogspot.com

Be sure to stop by and leave your comments or questions for each author. Each will check-in periodically throughout the day to field your comments and questions.

Thank you for your continued interest in the VBT - Writers on the Move blog tours.

Stories for Children Magazine
a trademark of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC
A monthly Ezine for Children (3 to 12)
Web site: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine
Marketing Manager, Stories for Children Magazine
Email: DonnaMcDine@storiesforchildrenmagazine.org
Phone: 800-670-4416

For Immediate Release

SFC Magazine Announces Stanley Bookman Spooky Sounds Young Author Contest

Contest Description:

The Stories for Children Magazine mascot, Stanley Bookman, needs your help to write a story about the spooky sounds you hear at night, in the backyard, or when you are camping.

Your story needs to be original, unpublished, and written by you. A parent/guardian may help type your story, but you have to write the story yourself. Make sure you use your imagination!

You must email all stories, along with the attached permission form signed by a parent/guardian, by midnight on August 30, 2009. Stories will not be returned, so make sure you keep a copy for yourself. Please send only one entry and make sure to put your name, age, email address, home address, and parent/guardian name in the top right hand corner on the first page of your story.

Will you help Stanley by writing a story between 500 and 1200 words long?

Submissions will be accepted between June 1, 2009, and August 30, 2009.

Who may enter? Young Authors (17 and under)

Contest Fee: No Entry Fee (Parental approval needed)

Contest Prizes: The top three stories will be published in the following months:

1st place in the October SFC issue

2nd place in the November SFC issue

3rd place in the December SFC issue

In addition to being published in Stories for Children Magazine, all winners will receive a Winner’s Certificate and:

1st Place: a 6 months’ personal membership to BigUniverse.com (a $30 value). To learn more, visit http://www.biguniverse.com/main/tour

2nd Place: an autographed copy of Babysitting SugarPaw by VS Grenier (a $14 value). To learn more, visit: http://vsgrenier.com/BabysittingSugarPaw.aspx

3rd Place: a McDonald’s Book of five $1 Gift Certificates.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Any original, unpublished story you wrote and not accepted by another publisher at the time of entry is eligible.

2. All submissions must be emailed as Word.doc attachments to: SFCcontests@StoriesForChildrenMagazine.org by midnight, August 30, 2009, with “Stanley Bookman Spooky Sounds Youth Submission” in the subject line. We are unable to open RTF or DOCX files.

3. Make sure to attach the permission form signed by your parent/guardian.
Your name, age, parent/guardian name, contact information, word count, and date of submission should be in the top right-hand corner of your attached entry. Your title should be one-third of the way down the first page, with your byline (your name) directly underneath the title. Please indicate if you are using a pen name in a cover letter. Use only Times New Roman or Arial 12-point font. All submissions must be single-spaced with no indentations and a blank line to indicate paragraphs.

No mail-in entries will be accepted.

No acknowledgement of receipt of entries will be sent.

Multiple entries are not allowed.

Entries that do not follow submission and format guidelines may be disqualified.

SFC staff members will serve as contest judges and their children are ineligible to enter.
Click here to download and print the Stanley Bookman Youth Permission Contest Form
http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/StanleyBookmanYouthContest.aspx

Sponsors:
1. Read, create & buy beautiful children's picture books -- all on one site -- visit BigUniverse.com today!

2. VS Grenier author of Babysitting Sugarpaw /
Click here to Preorder your copy of Babysitting SugarPaw today!
Learn more about VS Grenier at her author website http://vsgrenier.com/

Be sure to check out the recent 2009 issue of SFC Magazine for the magnificent articles and stories.

Learn more about Stories for Children Magazine at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/

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Full Media Kit, Magazine Cover Art, and more are available upon request electronically.

SFC: Families Matter Blog – It’s Finally Here – Popcorn Poetry Contest

Stories for Children Magazine

a trademark of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC

A monthly Ezine for Children (3 to 12)

Website: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine

Marketing Manager, Stories for Children Magazine

Email: DonnaMcDine@storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

Phone: 800-670-4416

For Immediate Release

SFC: Families Matter Blog – It’s Finally Here – Popcorn Poetry Contest

KERNEL SEASON’S POPCORN

What was discovered in a bat cave in New Mexico that dates back 5,500 years? What do Americans consume 17 billion quarts each year of? What food is so versatile it can be used in pudding, candy, soup, salad, and as an entrée?

The answer to all these questions is the same: popcorn!

With everyone health- and diet-conscious these days, popcorn is one of the few indulgences left that actually tastes good and is good for you. Popcorn is a whole grain that’s high in fibre and low in fat. And since it’s only 24 calories per cup, you can have five cups of air-popped popcorn for under 130 calories.

I know what you’re thinking: unless you add butter, popcorn tends to be a bit bland. Not anymore. With Kernel Season’s you can jazz up that ordinary popcorn into a tantalizing, tasty treat. Made from all natural ingredients and real cheese, Kernel Season’s popcorn comes in a variety of flavours like White Cheddar, Butter, Nacho Cheddar, Parmesan and Garlic, Ranch, Sour Cream and Onion, Salt, Caramel, Kettle Corn, and Jalapeno. Plus, Kernel Season’s also has a new all-natural, butter-flavoured popcorn spritzer. This zero- calorie topping is made from a blend of canola, sunflower, and corn oils. The only difference between this and the movie theatre topping is with Kernel Season’s Spritzer there’s zero fat and zero guilt.

In addition, Kernel Season’s is so good that over 20,000 movie theatres in the United States are offering it. And if you want to get movie night at home really “popping,” you can find Kernel Season’s products at more than 18,000 grocery stores across America, as well as at Walmart, Target, Kmart, and Blockbuster Video.

"Now here's your assignment if you choose to accept it..."

SFC: Families Matter Popcorn Poetry Contest – http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com
If we say salty, buttery, crunchy, and melts in your mouth, what "pops" into your mind? Popcorn, of course! In honor of this well-loved snack, Stories for Children Publishing has teamed up with Kernel Season's to announce the SFC: Families Matter Popcorn Poetry Contest. This contest and its prizes are sponsored by Kernel Season's.

Submissions will be accepted July 8-22, 2009.

Who may enter? Anyone

Contest Fees: FREE

Contest Prizes:

1st place : 1 pk of Kernel Season's All Natural Popping Corn, KS Movie Theatre Butter Topping, KS Popcorn Spritzer Butter, 3 KS Popcorn Seasoning (Flavors: White Cheddar, Kettle Corn, and Ranch), and 1pk of KS Premium Quality Microwave Popcorn.

2nd place : 1 pk of Kernel Season's All Natural Popping Corn, 1pk of KS Premium Quality Microwave Popcorn, and 2 KS Popcorn Seasoning (Flavors: Butter and Nacho Cheddar).

3rd place : 4 packages of Kernel Season's Premium Quality Microwave Popcorn.
Contest Rules:

The Rules: Post your popcorn-themed poem in the comments section of this blog post.

Length should not exceed 16 lines and should use simple beats and short lines. We prefer simple, fun, rhyming poetry. Poems should be family friendly. Winners will be selected based on quality and appeal. No mail-in or email entries will be accepted. Note: All judges, the SFC Team, and their families are ineligible to enter.

The Judges:

Gayle Jacobson-Huset, SFC's Fiction and Poetry Editor, has been "judging" the poetry entries that come into the magazine for the past 2 1/2 years. She loves popcorn and is very anxious to see what our reading audience comes up with for this "delectable delight".

Gisele LeBlanc, SFC Magazine's Assistant Poetry Editor, has been writing poetry for several years. Her poetry, fiction, and nonfiction have appeared in several publications for children. She loves going to the movies and eating popcorn and looks forward to reading everyone's poetic oaths to this savory snack.

Our mystery judge, is a writer of humorous picture books and children's poetry with a love of rhyme and word-play. Her poetry has been published in Stories for Children Magazine and Meanderings, a poetry anthology by Diversion Press (June 2009). The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators will soon publish her poem titled "Young Poet" in The Bulletin (forthcoming, 2009). Her professional affiliations include the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, JacketFlap, the Prose Shop Critique Group, and Cliff House Writers Group.

OUR MYSTERY POETRY JUDGE WILL BE REVEALED AT THE END OF THE CONTEST.

**Please also note***

1. Many editors may consider poems published online on a public blog such as this "previously published," thus resulting in authors possibly losing their First Rights.

2. ALL POEMS entered in the SFC: Families Matter Popcorn Poetry Contest remains the property of the author. Reproduction or retransmission of any poem, in whole or in part, in any manner, without the prior written consent of the author (copyright holder) is a violation of copyright law.

GOOD LUCK :) http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com

Be sure to check out the entire July 2009 issue of SFC Magazine for all the outstanding articles and stories and be sure to check out children’s author, Dan Gutman’s interview.

Learn more about Stories for Children Magazine at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

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Full Media Kit, Magazine Cover Art, and more are available upon request electronically.

VBT - Writers on the Move - July 1st Author Tour

VBT – Writers on the Move is happy to announce the following July 1^st tour schedule:

Harry Gilleland to host Heather Paye at: http://harrygillelandwrites.blogspot.com

Karen Cioffi to host Linda Asato at: http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com

Kathy Stemke to host Carolyn Howard-Johnson at: http://educationtipster.blogspot.com

Lea Schizas to host Harry Gilleland at: http://thewritingjungle.blogspot.com

Nancy Famolari to host Helena Harper at: http://nancygfamolari.blogspot.com

Vivian Zabel to host Crystalee Calderwood at: http://VivianZabel.blogspot.com

Crystalee Calderwood to host Mayra Calvani at: http://crystaleecalderwood.blogspot.com

Katie Hines to host Dorothy Massey at: http://katiehines.blogspot.com

Dorothy Massey to host Gayle Trent at: http://www.kidsbooksuk.blogspot.com

Liana Metal to host Anita Yasuda at: http://lianastories.blogspot.com

Carolyn Howard-Johnson to host Karen Cioffi at: http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com

VS Grenier to host Kathy Stemke at: http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com

Helena Harper to host Marvin Wilson at: http://helenaharpersblog.blogspot.com

Gayle Trent to host Liana Metal at: http://gayle24202.tripod.com/gaylesblog

Mayra Calvani to host Lea Schizas at: http://www.thedarkphantom.wordpress.com

Marvin Wilson to host Nancy Famolari at: http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com

Anita Yasuda to host Vivian Zabel at: http://anitayasuda.livejournal.com

Linda Asato to host Margaret Fieland at: http://lindaswritingdesk.blogspot.com

Heather Paye to host VS Grenier at: http://heatherpaye.blogspot.com

Be sure to stop by on July 1^st and read about their writing careers. Don’t forget to take this opportunity to ask your questions. Each author will be on hand throughout the day to answer your questions. Thanks for stopping by.

Founder of Stories for Children Magazine Guest Author at TheAuthorsShow.com

Stories for Children Magazine

a trademark of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC

A monthly Ezine for Children (3 to 12)

Web site: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine

Marketing Manager, Stories for Children Magazine

Email: DonnaMcDine@storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

Phone: 800-670-4416

For Immediate Release

Founder of Stories for Children Magazine Guest Author at TheAuthorsShow.com

VS Grenier, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine to appear June 16, 2009 at “The Authors Show” http://theauthorsshow.com/. Hear how this dynamic woman developed and continues to grow Stories for Children Magazine and learn more about the Best of Stories for Children Volume 1 Anthology.

VS Grenier is the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine and SFC Newsletter for Writers. She also freelances as a children’s author and editor for Halo Publishing along with running her own editorial/critique service.

She has placed in the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll in several categories for the past two years:

• One of the Top Ten Editors of 2007.
• Won 2^nd place in Best Nonfiction of 2007 for her article, “Yes, Virginia, There IS a Santa Claus.”
• Won 7^th place in Best Nonfiction of 2008 for her article, “Dinosaur Tracks in My Backyard.”
• Won 15^th place in Best Mainstream Fiction for her story, “SugarPaw and the Babysitter.”

To learn more about VS Grenier visit http://vsgrenier.com

Learn more about Stories for Children Magazine at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

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Full Media Kit, Magazine Cover Art, and more are available electronically upon request.

VS Grenier, Guest Author at Blog Talk Radio - Book Bites for Kids - June 5th

Stories for Children Magazine

a trademark of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC

A monthly Ezine for Children (3 to 12)

Website: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine

Marketing Manager, Stories for Children Magazine

Email: DonnaMcDine@storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

Phone: 800-670-4416

For Immediate Release

VS Grenier, Guest Author at Blog Talk Radio - Book Bites for Kids - June 5th

Join Suzanne Lieurance at Blog Talk Radio – Book Bites for Kids on Friday, June 5^th at 2 pm CDT when VS Grenier, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine will be the guest author.

Take a few moments and listen-in to learn about Grenier’s success in publishing her first picture book, Babysitting Sugarpaw. Visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids for call-in details prior to the interview.

Be sure to check out the June 2009 issue of SFC Magazine for the magnificent articles and stories; and Bill Trombello’s Featured Guest Author interview.

Learn more about Stories for Children Magazine at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

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Full Media Kit, Magazine Cover Art, and more are available upon request electronically.

VBT - Writers on the Move - June 1st Author Tour

Join VBT - Writers on the Move - June 1st - when 19 authors host 19 authors. Join in the fun and visit each tour and take the opportunity to leave your comments or ask your questions.

Harry Gilleland is hosting Linda Asato
Karen Cioffi is hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Kathy Stemke is hosting Liana Metal
Lea Schizas is hosting Helena Harper
Nancy Famalari is hosting Crystalee Calderwood
Vivian Zabel is hosting Joyce Anthony
Margaret Fieland is hosting Mayra Calvani
Crystalee Calderwood is hosting Dorothy Massey
Joyce Anthony is hosting Marvin Wilson
Helena Harper is hosting Gayle Trent
Dorothy Massey is hosting Anita Yasuda
Liana Metal is hosting Harry Gilleland
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is hosting Kathy Stemke
Virginia S. Grenier is hosting Karen Cioffi
Gayle Trent is hosting Lea Schizas
Mayra Calvani is hosting Nancy Famalari
Marvin Wilson is hosting Vivian Zabel
Anita Yasuda is hosting Margaret (Peggy) Fieland
Linda Asato is hosting Virginia S. Grenier

Be part of our new Mystery Site Give-Away and have a chance to win a prize. This month the prize is a book. Sorry, can't tell you the title, it's a secret. Just visit the hosts' sites and leave a comment. YOU MAY WIN!

If you'd like to learn more about our marketing and promotional group, just contact Karen at: karenrcfv@yahoo.com

Stories for Children Publishing Launches New Blog

Stories for Children Magazine
a trademark of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC
A monthly Ezine for Children (3 to 12)
Web site: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org


M E D I A R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna M. McDine
Marketing Manager, Stories for Children Magazine
Email: DonnaMcDine@storiesforchildrenmagazine.org
Phone: 800-670-4416

For Immediate Release

Stories for Children Publishing Launches New Blog:
SFC Families Matter 2 Us

Join us April 1, 2009 for the launch of a new blog from Stories for Children: SFC Families Matter 2 Us – http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com.

Our mission is to share resources that introduce families to products and services to help strengthen, support, and challenge children academically and bring the family unit closer together. SFC Publishing brings children on a adventure into the Word of Ink, as well as parents, teachers, authors, illustrators, schools, grandparents, publishers, editors, libraries, and readers around the globe who log onto our Families Matter blog.

Visit Stories for Children: Families Matter 2 Us blog at: http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com

Don’t forget to stop by Stories for Children Magazine at: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org to enjoy the celebration of our two-year anniversary.

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Full Media Kit, Magazine Cover Art, and more are available electronically upon request.

Stories for Children Magazine - Announcements to be Made

Stanley Bookman is in a playful mood and wants to drop some hints about the exciting announcements Stories for Children Magazine will make in April 2009:

Hint 1: What special offer is SFC Magazine offering only on their website in April? Guess you'll have to wait and see. LOL.

Hint 2: What does the Food Network and SFC Magazine have in common? Visit http://storiesforchildrenma... on April 1st to find out.

Hint 3: What five things use SFC in their titles? Visit http://storiesforchildrenma... on April 5th to find out!

Hint 4: How many SFC Granny Award winners from 2008? Find out on April 6th at http://storiesforchildrenma... and read the April issue.

Changes at Stories for Children Magazine

Changes at Stories for Children Magazine

I want to let you all know that some exciting changes are happening at Stories for Children Magazine. We'll be announcing those changes this coming April. http://apps.facebook.com/causes/posts/148284?m=7d290bcb

Also, we are going to add a beneficiary to this cause. The goal is not to only spread the word about Stories for Children Magazine and to reach those who would like to be sponsors to help us reach our goal of becoming a print magazine, but to also help those who have less than we do. We know times are tough for everyone, but for many it's much tougher.

The reason? Because they were already struggling like we are now, so just imagine what it must be like for them with the U.S. and Global economy on the rocks. We hope you'll help us grow this cause, spread the word about Stories for Children Magazine, become a sponsor, and help those who are less fortunate.